Scrivsland: Fear Naught Gazala Campaign Weekend

This weekend I took part in the fantastic Fear Naught Gazala Campaign Weekend held by the wonderful Alex Storch at Triple Helix in Westbury, Wiltshire.

I've not played Flames of War in over a year, having become rather jaded with the 'win at all cost' tournament knobheads, you know who you are. It's not big, it's not clever and you are impressing nobody!

So what to take, I can field both a PanzerKompanie and a SchutzenKompanie for the 21st Panzer Division and I can field a Rifle Company from 4th Indian Diviaion, Ball of Fire. Alex asked if I could take an Axis force as they were lacking in numbers, I plumped for a SchutzenKompanie from 21st Panzer Division, namely:

Company HQ - 105pts
Company Command SMG team
2iC Command SMG team
Two MG34 HMG teams
Two Kubelwagen
Two Kfz70 trucks

Schutzen Platoon - 255pts
Command PanzerKnacker SMG team
Six MG teams
Kubelwagen
8cm GW34 mortar
5cm PaK38 gun
Four Kfz70 trucks
SdKfz10 tractor

Schutzen Platoon - 255pts
Command PanzerKnacker SMG team
Six MG teams
Kubelwagen
8cm GW34 mortar
5cm PaK38 gun
Four Kfz70 trucks
SdKfz10 tractor

Schutzen Platoon - 190pts
Command SMG team
Six MG teams
Kubelwagen
Three Kfz70 trucks

Self-propelled Infantry Gun Platoon - 180pts
Command SMG team
Kfz15 field car
Observer Rifle team
Motorcycle and sidecar
Two Bison

Tank Hunter Platoon - 140pts
Two Diana

Light Panzerspah Patrol - 110pts
Command SdKfz223
Two SdKfz222

Anti-tank Gun Platoon - 170pts
Command SMG team
Kfz15 field car
Four 5cm PaK38
Four SdKfz10

Light Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon - 95pts
Command SdKfz10/5
Two SdKfz10/5

So a very early wakeup call on Saturday morning and by 05:30 I'm on the M1 heading south. By 08:45 I've arrived at the Triple Helix in Westbury, it's a great little venue and the hosts are spot on.

Alex asks if Mark Martin can borrow my Indians so we sit down and work out a 1500pt Indian Rifle Company list for him.

For the weekend I'm to be paired with Joel Keen, with a DaK PanzerKompanie. Joel is using my DaK PanzerKompanie.

Our first game is against a super Heavy Armoured Squadron, Pete has 15 Grants and 3 Carriers, Toby has 9 Grants, 6 Stuarts and 3 Armoured cars, this may smart a little. We are playing Encounter on a large 8ft x 6ft table. As we have deployed the 88's centrally it pretty much forces the British up either flank.

We have some early successes, and an audacious dash up the center of the table with a Schutzen platoon nearly pays off, but the British reserves appear in front of the trucks just at the wrong time and they are doomed. Eventually the British manage to capture one of the objectives and it's all over for Fritz, my company is broken in the process.

We have a bite of lunch and it's on to the afternoons game. This time Joel and I are facing another pair of British Armoured Squadrons, Mike has six Grants and about a dozen Crusaders, Steve has about 12 Matildas and two platoons of infantry. Where is all this British armour coming from, I though they were on the back foot. We will be attacking in a Breakthrough mission. Some early crack shooting does for the Grants and we are pretty much free on our right flank. The Matildas are a tough nut to crack, but also struggle to damage us too. In the end though our reserves arrive and bag the objective, our first win.

Out for a night of fun and games, a slap up meal, followed by far too much diet coke. Fortunately, the diet coke meant I was not so worse for wear in the morning, but did give me a terrible nights sleep.

The last big doubles game that myself and Joel would face would be against a pair of Indian Infantry Companies, the one commanded by Mike Martin, using my Indians and another commanded by Derek Wittenbury. We would be attacking in another Breakthrough scenario and did not have a good start at all. The Indians forgot that they were supposed to be defending and launched themselves straight at us! My company was broken by turn three and we played for several turns with just a platoon of 88's and the two Panzers from the HQ. Eventually the reserve Panzers showed up and we faffed around for a bit, but the British were reinforced by another Armoured Squadron under the command of Chris Brownlow and we were doomed.

The last game of the weekend was a 750pt Hold the Line against Mark Martin using my Indians and I was able to extract a little revenge by winning that game.

Four great games against seven great opponents - thanks chaps, you are restoring my faith in Flames of War

Some images from the event: